How to Get Noticed on LinkedIn
Recruiters and hiring managers use LinkedIn to search for and vet candidates, so having a complete and professional profile gives you the opportunity to stand out among other candidates and significantly increases your chances of finding work. Boost your LinkedIn profile visibility with the below tips:
Use a professional photo
You don’t have to pay someone to take professional headshots for your profile, but it’s important to use a professional looking picture. A good rule of thumb is to get ready as if you would for a job interview, and stand in front of a solid or plain background.
Use a high-quality camera (such as the ones on an iPhone or Android) and have someone take the picture of you at a straight angle. If you have no one available, use your phone’s camera timer to take a picture of yourself.
Create a well-rounded bio
Your profile’s summary section is a quick snapshot of who you are, so you want it to illustrate who you are as a professional, but also who you are as an individual. Great things to include here are your experiences, motivations, skills and interests.
It’s important to start off your summary with one attention-grabbing sentence, because chances are that if you don’t, the reader will lose interest.
Make connections
The best way to increase your profile’s reach and visibility is by making relevant connections. The more connections you make, the more likely it is that you will get noticed. One of your connections could be working for a company that’s hiring and might reach out if you look like the right fit.
LinkedIn isn’t like Facebook, you don’t need to be friends with someone to make a connection. You may have gone to a seminar and had a quick conversation with the main speaker…chances are if you send them a personalized request to connect with them, they will accept.
Interact and Engage
Follow organizations you’re passionate about, and interact with them and share their posts. This helps showcase who you are and what you’re interested in. It also ensures your profile pops up on other people’s newsfeeds that you may not be connected with yet.
Congratulate your friend on their promotion or when they start a new job. Join groups that have similar interests and experience as you, and make more connections through commonalities.
Remain active on your account to increase your chances of being noticed. The more active you are, the more your name is going to pop up on other people’s feeds. This, in turn, will lead to more individuals visiting your profile and possibly being interested in reaching out to you.
Let recruiters know you’re job searching
Turn your career interests on and update your "Open To" status to "Finding a Job" to let recruiters know you are open to opportunities.
Be sure to include your current location in your profile as most recruiters will search for candidates within their specific location. If you’re trying to relocate, or just open to jobs somewhere other than your current location, specify this in your career interests.
If you're concerned that your current employer might see you are interested in a new job, double check your privacy settings to ensure your profile update notifications are turned off. LinkedIn has several articles giving tips on how you can reduce the chances of your employer seeing anything suspicious.
Include keywords
LinkedIn uses a search algorithm, so be sure to include key words and phrases throughout your profile. Recruiters will search for specific words and phrases relevant to the position they’re trying to fill, so including common keywords within your profile better ensures yours will pop up in their search.
The best sections to include phrases or keywords are within your headline, summary, experience, and skills.
When filling out your LinkedIn profile, include as much relevant information as you can – this will get you noticed much more quickly. LinkedIn is a great way to find opportunities you wouldn’t find otherwise, and sometimes the opportunities will find their way to you. For more free resources to help with your job search, visit our Job Seeker Resources page on our website.